>>> IN 1948 THE NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND MILWAUKEE AND DAVINE AVENUES WERE UNDEVELOPED PRAIRIES.

BUT NEWLYWEDS SOUGHT POTENTIAL OF THAT PRAIRIE AS A PLACE TO DRIVE IN FOR A BITE.

CHICAGO CHANGED A LOT SINCE 1948, BUT NEARLY NOTHING HAS CHANGED AT SUPER DOG.

AND THAT'S JUST HOW PEOPLE LIKE IT.

SUPER DOG SUPER FAN ERICA GUNDERSON HAS THE STORY AS THE DRIVE-IN CELEBRATES ITS 75th BIRTHDAY TODAY.

>> HI, THANKS FOR STOPPING.

MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER, PLEASE?

>> Reporter: CUSTOMERS PLACING AN ORDER HAVE RECEIVED THE SAME CHEERFUL GREETING SINCE MARI AND MURRAY OPENED IT IN 1948.

75 YEARS LATER, THE RESTAURANT AND ITS MASCOTS COULD FRANKLY BE CALLED CHICAGO ICONS.

IT WAS MEANT TO HELP THE COUPLE PAY FOR COLLEGE.

>> OUR PARENTS WERE HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS.

NEITHER OF THEM HAD ANY RESTAURANT BACKGROUND TO OPEN A RESTAURANT, A BUSINESS TOGETHER.

THEY WERE MARRIED LESS THAN A YEAR.

THE CREATIVITY, THE GUTS TO DO THIS AND IT WAS SUCCESSFUL.

>> Reporter: ONCE THE BERMAN'S RELISHED THE TASTE OF THE HOT DOG LIFE, THERE WAS NO GOING BACK.

>> IT WAS THEIR PASSION.

THEY LIKED IT NOT ONLY AS A BUSINESS, BUT A HOBBY.

SO EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T WORKING THAT DAY, WHICH WAS ALMOST NEVER.

THEY WERE WORKING A LOT, THEY WOULD STOP IN.

>> Reporter: AS THE BUSINESS GREW, THE BERMAN'S DEVELOPED INNOVATIVE METHODS FOR SPEEDIER SAUSAGE SLINGING.

THEY ALSO RAISED THREE OF THEIR OWN LITTLE WIENERS AT THE RESTAURANT.

>> I LEARNED THE ABCs AND THE NUMBERS SITTING AT MY MOM'S SIDE LISTENING TO HER TAKE ORDERS AT OUR SWITCHBOARD.

>> Reporter: OVER THE YEARS, TRUCKERS HUSBAND DAWN AND THE BERMAN GRANDKIDS HAVE JOINED THE HOT DOG PACK ALONG WITH MANY LONG-TIME EMPLOYEES.

>> I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR SO LONG, THAT IT IS JUST EASY.

EVERYBODY IS NICE.

IT'S A FAMILY.

IT'S JUST LIKE HOME.

>> MY ADULT CHILDREN GREW UP IN THE BUSINESS.

THEY BOTH LOVE SUPERDAWGS AND BOTH WORKED HERE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF SHIFTS A WEEK.

PLUS MY NIECE JOINED OUR BUSINESS 13 YEARS AGO.

>> Reporter: THE FAMILY LOST ITS ORIGINAL HOT DOG LOVERS MAURIE IN 2015 AND 2018.

BUT SUPERDAWG REMAINS FAITHFUL TO THEIR VISION.

>> OUR MENU IS THE SAME AS IT HAS BEEN FOR 75 YEARS.

THE WAY YOU TALK TO THE SWITCHBOARD, EVEN THE WAY WE SAY HIYA, THANKS FOR STOPPING, MAY I TAKE YOUR ORDER PLEASE.

THAT'S THE PHRASE MY MOTHER USED IN '48, 75 YEARS AGO, AND THE PHRASE WE STILL USE TODAY.

>> Reporter: AND PERSONALLY I THINK THAT'S THE BEST PART.

FOR ME, SUPERDAWG HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MAGICAL PLACE.

GROWING UP IN LOGAN SQUARE, WE WOULD PILE THE FAMILY INTO THE STATION WAGON AND MAKE THE LONG DRIVE DOWN TOWARDS MILWAUKEE AVENUE.

CLEARLY I'M NOT ALONE.

>> MY DAD USED TO COME HERE ALL THE TIME, AND HE WOULD TAKE US HERE.

YEAH, IT WAS KIND OF A NIGHT OUT.

>> THEY HAVE THE BEST HOT DOGS.

>> THE WHOLE OLD SCHOOL THING, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY BRING THE FOOD TO YOUR CAR.

IT'S JUST A NICE EXPERIENCE.

>> TO HAVE A PLACE LIKE THIS LAST 75 YEARS, THAT SHOWS YOU HOW GOOD IT IS.

>> Reporter: AND THAT'S WHITE FAMILY SAYS THEY PLAN TO KEEP SUPERDAWGS JUST THE WAY IT IS FOR MANY DECADES TO COME.

>> BEING AN ICONIC CHICAGO INSTITUTION, WE GREW UP HERE.

WE'VE BEEN AT THE SAME CORNER FOR 75 YEARS, JUST DOING THE SAME THING EVERY DAY.

>> Reporter: FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE HEART, THIS IS ERICA GUNDERSON.

>> NOW I WANT A HOT DOG.

FOR ALL ITS RETRO CHARM, THERE IS ONE VERY MODERN SUPERDAWG STORY.

THE BERMAN'S GRANDDAUGHTER, WHO MANAGES THE